Description

BARROW IN FURNESS

SD1969SE DUKE STREET
708-1/12/66 (South West side)
06/05/76 Town Hall

GV II*

Town hall. 1882-87. By WH Lynn of Belfast. Contractors Short
and Devlin of Glasgow. Snecked red sandstone with ashlar
dressings, graduated slate roofs.
3 storeys and attic with 6-stage tower; 1:1:5:2:4:1:1 bays in
near symmetrical composition. Bays 2 & 14 have oriel bay
windows corbelled over ground floor; the 2-bay section is
occupied by the tower. Gothic Revival style with Geometrical
tracery.
Ground floor: chamfered plinth, offset and string course
beneath cross-windows having arched lights and relieving
arches; corbelling to the oriels; carved cornice. 1st floor:
2-light windows with trefoil-headed lights and quatrefoils
beneath moulded arches with continuous hoodmoulds; bays 10-13
have apron panels to larger windows in same style which rise
through 2 storeys to light the council chamber, between are
statue niches on shafts; canted oriels have transomed windows
of 1:2:1 lights with trefoiled heads and shields over.
2nd floor: frieze between 2 string courses set beneath
double-chamfered 3-light windows with trefoiled heads; carved
cornice beneath parapet with roll-moulded copings; octagonal
tourelles to each corner having blind arcading and pinnacles.
Attic storey: dormers with diagonal buttresses, ogee-headed
2-light windows and coped gables (those to right of tower with
quatrefoils in the gables and poppyhead finials). The oriel
windows rise above the parapet and each has shields below
windows of 2:2:2 lights; eaves cornice and steeply-pitched
hipped roof flanked by stacks with upswept caps. The main roof
is hipped.
Tower: diagonal buttresses flank main entrance having moulded
arch with 3 orders of colonnettes and hood- mould; roundels
with shields in the spandrels. Corbelled balcony with 2
cross-windows under pointed arches with arms of Devonshire and
Buccleuch in each tympanum; quatrefoil between. Corbelled
balcony to 3rd stage (level with main parapet); 2 tall lancets
with transom panels have carved bee and the letter B. String
course beneath arcading with central niche in which stands a
statue of Queen Victoria. Above 3rd stage are corbelled
octagonal corner turrets which flank louvred 2-light belfry
openings in moulded arches with colonnettes, traceried heads
and hoodmoulds. Quatrefoiled panel below gable with date
'1883' under clock face and initials 'JR' over; the turrets
end with arcading and pinnacles. Octagonal top stage with
cusped ogee openings under pointed arches; balustrade topped
by carved rams bearing shields.
Rear: centre is double depth, the rear section being of 2
storeys and attic; porte-cochere with canted window over.
Rounded stair turret in angle with wing on right. Wing to left
has lateral stair-turret projection and rear gable with
banqueting-hall window of 4-lights having quinquefoil and
relieving arch over; cross on gable. Right return: side
entrance; buttresses; canted-bay projection.
INTERIOR: vaulted lobby with trefoiled inner door. Entrance
hall: arcade with octagonal piers and carved capitals; carved
fireplace under plaque stating 'opened by Marquis of
Hartington 14th July 1887'; carved corbels and curved braces
support beamed ceiling. Broad stone staircase off to right has
trefoiled balustrade and half landing.
Queen's Hall above has 3-bay arcading to each side with
quatrefoil piers and moulded arches; pointed-arched and
coffered ceiling. Canted bay window with stained-glass panels
dedicated to members of the Cavendish family; lower panels
have Borough Arms and depict the industrial scene; to each
side are panels showing Furness Abbey and arms of local
families. Bust of Queen Victoria by Andreoni of Rome presented
by James Ramsden 1887; marble statue of Labour (man with
sledgehammer) by FM Miller 1866.
Council chamber: ashlar fireplace; panelling; coving beneath
gallery. Stained glass with The Arts depicted in the
quatrefoils; carved ashlar cornice to panelled ceiling with
moulded oak beams. Contemporary furniture; pendant light
fittings in the form of iron baskets.
Drawing Room: panelled; carved ashlar fireplace with Borough
Arms and oakleaf frieze; oakleaf cornice with gilded shields
to low ceiling of subdivided squares with gilded ribs; brass
electroliers.
Banqueting Hall: panelling; ashlar fireplace with quatrefoils
and Borough Arms; minstrels' gallery on 2 arches opposed by
similar arcade across bay window; coving beneath end gallery;
hammer beams to pointed-arched roof trusses.
Secondary staircase in left end of building is of stone on
steel girders with iron balustrade; 3 tiers of arches on 2
sides of the stairwell.
The design won an open competition of 1876 although approval
was delayed until 1881. Opened as part of Queen Victoria's
Jubilee celebrations having cost about »80,000. Monograms of
the first 4 mayors are found over the clock faces. Statue of
Queen Victoria and rams with shields carved by HT Miles of
Ulverston (Trescatheric).
(Tescatheric B: Barrow Town Hall 1887-1987: Kendal: 1987-: 93;
Trescatheric B: Barrow in Furness in Old Picture Postcards:
Netherlands: 1982-: PL 1).

Listing NGR: SD1983869102

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q4863855

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living